Performance profiling in sports: A Scopus-based bibliometric and narrative analysis

Improving the performance of athletes and maintaining their mental health are the main goals of coaches and other practitioners. To achieve these goals, sports psychologists and applied performance analysts use performance profiles, which, despite their great utility, have not received the attention they deserve. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to provide a holistic view of sports performance profiling by conducting a bibliometric analysis and simultaneously offering a brief review of the criteria that should be followed for their development, as well as the benefits that arise from them. We applied a specific Boolean expression to the Scopus database and then evaluated the relevance of the documents to our topic based on their titles, abstracts, and keywords. A CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file was extracted from the database and imported into the VOSviewer software. A bibliometric analysis (using performance analysis and science mapping techniques) was carried out with this software, while we also conducted a literature review. From the literature review, it appears that when performance profiles meet specific criteria for their creation, they can have benefits related to the psychological well-being of athletes, their health, and the suppression of unethical behaviors. From the performance analysis, it was found that 308 authors contributed to the writing of the 97 articles, 10 of whom had written at least 4 articles, while 19 organizations were involved in at least 2 documents. From the scientific mapping, it was found that the subjects of the documents are divided into 5 clusters, with specific journals and authors appearing to be more influential in the field. Our findings can form the basis for further research and prove useful for coaches and sports practitioners.